


Time Management

by Kirathaune



Category: Saiyuki
Genre: Alternate Universe, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-03-01
Updated: 2010-03-01
Packaged: 2017-10-12 15:16:21
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,589
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/126280
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kirathaune/pseuds/Kirathaune
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Architect Kent Neiman knows his only real competition in a design contest is Colm Sanderson. But why does the man keep putting off working on his entry? The deadline is Friday!</p>
            </blockquote>





	Time Management

**Author's Note:**

  * For [jakondas](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=jakondas).



> My prompt was "procrastination". This is my first AU! Thanks to [**charliesmum**](http://charliesmum.livejournal.com/) for the fab beta.
> 
> Warnings: AU. Smut, snark and non-standard use of office furniture.

Kent Neiman slouched in his chair at the conference table. God, he hated these morning production meetings. Sitting there bored out of his mind while Jerry rambled on and on about the firm's current projects. Blah, blah, blah. The only good thing that came out of it was that most mornings, he got to sit next to Colm Sanderson. It was amusing to watch the laid-back blond during these meetings - he didn't seem to pay much attention either, and on more than one occasion Kent had caught him making origami animals under the table. Besides that, the older man was definitely easy on the eyes, and was pretty much the only person who'd given him the time of day in the month he'd been here.

Jerry cleared his throat. "Okay, last item of the morning. Our illustrious owner has gone and tied the knot again. I'm sure you know what this means for you lowly architects here at Tenkai Associates."

A collective groan rose up around the table, and someone muttered, "What is this, number seven? Eight? The woman changes husbands quicker than underwear."

Jerry rolled his eyes at the comments. "I'm overwhelmed at your enthusiasm, gang. Really. For the record, it _is_ husband number eight."

This exchange told Kent that whatever it was, it wasn't necessarily good, but he couldn't understand what the boss's relationship status had to do with the company. 'Am I missing something?' he whispered to Colm.

In reply he got a chuckle and a whispered 'you'll see.' Colm tilted his chair back and waved at Jerry as he raised his voice and said, "Neiman doesn't know what this means, Jerry. He's new, remember?" His long, thick braid tumbled over the back of the chair, and Kent watched it swing lazily back and forth.

Jerry blinked at Kent for a few seconds, then continued, "Ah, yes. So then, we are commanded - er, _commissioned_ to design a new love nest for the new happy couple. And, being the merciful boss that she is, instead of just going to a member of our senior staff, it has become her tradition to make a competition of it among all of the architects here at Tenkai."

The vice president shuffled through his folder. "Hmmm, let's see… Usual time frame, one work week - you know how she loves getting her after-honeymoon surprise. Designs should include a simple exterior elevation, floorplans and a rendered drawing of the finished house - and for now, they do not need to be to scale. And yes," he broke in when hands shot up around the table, "the usual bonus applies as well, one month's salary. Participation is voluntary, but strongly encouraged, and is to be done on your own time." He peered over his glasses at Kent. "Neiman, I know you've just started here, but Herself specifically requested that you participate. 'I want to see what our wunderkind comes up with' were her exact words. Here is all the information you people need on the site she has selected," Jerry said while he passed packets around the table.

"All right, ladies and gentlemen, back to your dark dungeons. Ms. Bosatz will be here Friday at 6pm to view your entries." Jerry gathered his folders and hurried out the door. Everyone else started to leave the room, chattering amongst themselves. Kent stood, retrieving his notepad and job folders as he glanced over at Colm.

The older man was still leaning back in his chair, grinning at him. "Well then, Wunderkind, I believe this calls for caffeine. Join me for some coffee?"

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

They sat at a small table in Cuppa Joe's down in the lobby. The coffee was still painfully hot, so for now Kent left it alone and addressed his companion. "So, what's the deal with this crazy competition?"

Colm blew on his coffee in an attempt to cool it. "Oh, our employer has done this before, as you could tell from all the hubbub. She has a new house commissioned every time she acquires a new husband. It's not a bad thing, really… it's not like we're up against another firm, and it certainly gets everyone's creative juices flowing." He sipped cautiously. "Not to mention the generous bonus."

Kent certainly agreed about the bonus - a month's salary was plenty incentive to get creative. He took a sip of his own coffee, and allowed his eyes to linger for a few moments on the way Colm's long, elegant fingers curled around his mug. "Five days, though… that's not much time," he commented.

Colm laughed. "Oh, not much time at all - I think that's why there is always so much complaining. Everyone wants to participate, not only for the money, but for the chance to look good to Herself. However, it _is_ a killer deadline. There are always a few people who just can't get their entry done in time." He regarded Kent steadily, and a small smile peeked out from behind his coffee mug. "I'm sure you will have no trouble with the deadline, Kent. You might even stand a chance of winning - your designs are very good."

Kent smirked. His designs were more than good. They were fucking brilliant, and he had a wall full of awards in his office to prove it. This was going to be a piece of cake. A bit of work, perhaps, but he'd easily out-design all those other dweebs. Colm, on the other hand, might give him a run for his money. He'd seen a few of the other architect's blueprints one morning while he had been waiting for one of his own projects to come off the plotter, and they were good. Very good. But Kent was better.

Colm held out his mug. "May the best man win."

Kent clinked his mug against Colm's. "Watch out, old man. She didn't call me 'wunderkind' for nothing."

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Kent put down his pencil and stretched, reaching his hand behind his neck to rub away a stubborn kink. It was Wednesday, and things were coming along nicely with "Project Love Nest." Their employer had purchased a 50-acre wooded parcel in the hills just outside the city, and from the photos it looked like there was a spectacular valley below the hillside. Kent was going to employ glass exterior walls to take advantage of that view, and the house itself would perch along the hillside. His elevation was halfway done, and he had some rough sketches for floorplans. He'd leave the rendering for last.

He yawned and looked at the clock. Eight o'clock. He wondered what Colm was up to. For the last two nights when he had passed by the other man's office he had seen Colm simply lounging in his chair, facing the windows and gazing out at the city skyline. Behind him, his drafting table had been completely bare.

Kent decided to pay him a visit. He really wanted to see what Colm was going to come up with, see what kind of competition he was going to be. He pushed back his chair and headed down the hallway to Colm's office. The door was open, so Kent poked his head in.

He couldn't believe it. For the third night in a row Colm was sitting with back to his table. An empty table.

Colm turned his chair around, smiling brightly when he saw Kent in the doorway. "Ah, the wunderkind. All done for the evening? Making your reconnaissance rounds to check out the competition?" His eyes crinkled in amusement.

"I just thought I'd see how you were coming along." Kent hoped he wasn't that obvious, but he wasn't about to let Colm know he'd been right. "You haven't even started yet? Colm, it's Wednesday!"

"Yes, I know. It's not ready to come out of my head just yet." Colm rose from his chair, retrieved his jacket and walked over to Kent. "Join me for a beer? That new tavern around the corner just started carrying some wonderful Belgians on draft."

"Uh, sure." Kent followed Colm down the hallway, shaking his head. The man was insane - the project was due in two days and he had _nothing_.

Ten minutes and two blocks later they were perched at the end of the bar, glasses of beer in hand. Kent had decided against the Belgians in favor of a pint of Guinness, and he watched Colm with amusement as the older man quaffed golden ale from a tulip glass decorated with dancing pink elephants.

The next two hours flew by as they enjoyed beer and small talk, and the more time Kent spent with Colm the harder he found it to keep his eyes off his companion… that long blond braid was just seven kinds of sexy. But physical attraction aside, the man fascinated him with his laid-back, lazy attitude and absent-minded demeanor. Because every now and then Kent would catch a flash of razor-sharp intelligence in those light brown eyes, and he knew there was far, far more to Colm Sanderson than what the man allowed others to see. Kent wanted to see that hidden side.

It was almost 10:30 now, and Colm set his empty glass on the table. "Well, my friend, I think we'd better call it a night. You done?" Kent nodded, waving the bartender over to take care of their tab.

They walked back to their building's parking garage in a companionable silence, entered the elevator and selected their floors. The elevator car jerked into motion and Colm lost his balance, falling against Kent. Kent caught the older man and laughed, "Can't hold your beer, old man? You only had three glasses."

Colm's hand stayed on Kent's arm, eyes twinkling beneath the fringe of hair that had tumbled in front of his face. "I'm afraid I forgot that Delirium Tremens has a 9% alcohol content," he confessed sheepishly.

Twice the alcohol of his Guinness - no wonder Colm was buzzed! Without thinking Kent reached out and brushed blond strands away from Colm's face. Heat curled low in his groin when he saw the other's eyes darken in response to his touch, and before Kent realized what he was doing he leaned over and brushed his mouth against Colm's.

The lips under his parted, and Kent deepened the kiss, running his tongue along Colm's lower lip. Hands tangled his hair, pulling him closer, and he groaned when Colm's mouth became more demanding and hungrily took over the kiss.

A hot, wet tongue slid inside his mouth, and Kent could taste the spicy maltiness of the ale Colm had been drinking. Kent returned the favor, pushing his tongue past Colm's to give him a sample of the Guinness he had been enjoying. _Who needs to order a Black and Tan,_ he thought as Colm's tongue lapped along his teeth while it tasted and explored, _It's much better to make it this way._

The elevator stopped, and Colm's mouth slowly lifted from his. "Now then," he murmured, "If I had been working on my design I wouldn't have been able to go out and enjoy this …drink with you." Lips touched his briefly, lightly. "Good night, Kent." A small smile, and then Colm was gone, the elevator door whooshing shut behind him.

Kent made his way back to his own car, his senses still reeling from that unexpected kiss. He sat there in the darkness for a few minutes, breathing deeply, and tried unsuccessfully to will his raging hard-on away. It was going to be an uncomfortable ride home.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

All done! It was Thursday night, and Kent was pleased that he had finished early. Tomorrow all he had to do was mount the drawings on foamcore boards, watch Katherine Bosatz pick his design, and collect his bonus. Piece of cake.

He had managed to sneak a peek at almost everyone else's designs, and there wasn't a single one that came close to his. _Almost everyone's designs,_ his mind unhelpfully reminded him. _Not Colm's_. The one he wanted to see the most, and the crazy bastard hadn't even started on it yet! Kent couldn't understand why Colm kept putting it off - wasn't he going to even turn in an entry?

Thinking about Colm made him think about last night, and the kiss they had shared. Kent had wanted to feel that mouth against his since the first day he laid eyes on the blond, and last night's reality far surpassed the fantasy that normally played in the back of his mind during morning meetings.

He hadn't really had a chance to see Colm - a busy workload kept him at his table all day and his after-work hours had been consumed with finishing his entry. But he was done now, so he headed off towards Colm's office, tasting the memory of Delirium Tremens and Guinness on his lips.

Kent knocked at the door and Colm beckoned him in. The drafting table was still empty, and Colm was over by a console table watering some bamboo plants.

He entered the room, realizing that this was the first time he had actually been in Colm's office and not just standing in the doorway. He took a good look around. Colm had a corner office, and the two outside walls were completely glass, meeting in an almost invisible seam in the corner. Those glass walls allowed a breathtaking, in-your-face view of the city, although the way Colm had placed his drafting table in front of the corner, he would spend most of his time sitting with his back to that inspiring vista. But if the last couple of days were anything to judge by, Colm tended to have his back to his work.

Kent was surprised at how spare the room was in its décor, for being the office of a senior architect. No awards adorned the wood-paneled walls at all. No diplomas, no certificates - the only decoration was a large print of the elevation design of Frank Lloyd Wright's famous "Fallingwater" house.

He walked over to stand at the large, split-top drafting table. It was a heavy, vintage piece of furniture, golden oak with antique brass accents, but even this work area was spare. The smaller flat top featured only a pencil cup and a handful of picture frames, all of which featured a scowling young blond who appeared to be in his early twenties. Kent leaned over to take a closer look.

"That's my son, Sam. He doesn't like having his picture taken, but I insisted. Unfortunately I forgot to insist that he smile."

Kent almost jumped when Colm was suddenly standing in back of him. _Damn, the man moves like a ninja._ He picked up a frame and peered at the frowning face. The short brunet that also occupied a few of the pictures seemed to have no trouble smiling - the kid's face had the same big toothy grin in all the pictures. He gestured at a photo. "I didn't know you had been married. Is this your other son?"

Colm laughed. "Oh heavens, no - that's Sam's boyfriend Sonny. That boy eats so much he would bankrupt me if I was responsible for feeding him. And I've never married. I adopted Sam when he was an infant - someone literally left him on my doorstep."

"I didn't think people did that any more," Kent commented as he set the frame back down. "Why did you keep him? You could have just given him to Child Services."

Colm's hand reached past his to adjust the frame's position on the table. "Ah, but I just couldn't part with him." He ran a finger along the edge of the frame. "He has been a handful, but Sam is a source of great joy in my life."

Kent felt the warmth of Colm's body along his back as the older man pressed against him. "And you," Colm murmured against his ear, "you are a source of… hmm… exasperation? Excitement? Both?"

Kent felt a delicious shiver run down his spine. "Both," he decided, gasping as Colm's lips moved from his ear to the side of his neck. "I want to be a pain in your ass in every sense of the word."

"Promises, promises."

Kent's breath hitched as a hand brushed against the front of his trousers, slowly rubbing his erection. The other hand undid the buttons of his shirt and slipped beneath the fabric, gliding across his abdomen and chest, and he groaned as fingers flicked over a nipple.

Colm murmured in his ear, "Don't you younger men wear undershirts any more?" as he lightly pinched the hardening nub. "What is the world coming to, hmmm?"

Kent twisted around to face Colm and started pulling at his shirt buttons. He ran his hands over a ribbed white undershirt, his thumbs rubbing at Colm's nipples until they peaked under the soft cotton. "Undershirts are old school. Get with the times, old man," he lectured, then closed his mouth over a cotton-covered nub and sucked hard, enjoying the gasp that burst from the older man.

"Y-you may have a point," Colm conceded as he pushed Kent back to lie against the incline of the drafting table. He slid Kent's shirt off his shoulders and ran his hands over taut, toned muscles, then leaned over and took Kent's mouth in a slow, sensuous kiss. Colm's hands wandered lower and set to work on undoing Kent's belt and zipper, and his lips left Kent's to follow those hands downward. Kent choked out a gasp himself as his cock was enveloped by the moist warmth of Colm's mouth.

Kent raised his head and moaned as he watched his cock slide in and out of Colm's mouth. He felt positively _wicked._ Here he was, half naked and exposed to the entire city - no, _exposing_ himself to the city through those glass walls. Letting everyone see Colm's head bobbing while he licked and sucked at Kent's cock. Allowing everyone to spy on them while Kent twisted his fingers in long, ash-blond hair and thrust his hips up and down, fucking that hot, beautiful mouth. And making everyone watch when he arched his back and came hard, shuddering as he felt Colm swallow his release.

Colm kissed his way back up his torso, and Kent decided he needed to put getting one of these corner offices higher on his To Do list - this glass corner was all kinds of kinky fun. He tasted his own come when Colm's tongue met his again, and he sucked it hungrily in an echo of what that tongue had just been doing to him.

Kent made quick work of undoing Colm's pants to free his erection. When he curled his fingers around Colm's cock and began to slowly pump him, Colm pulled back from their kiss to pant against Kent's ear, "You have such clever hands, Kent."

Kent turned his head to nip along Colm's jaw. "I'm a clever boy, didn't you know that?" He lifted his head a little higher and licked an earlobe, whispering, "I have some lube in my pants pocket."

He felt a rumble against his cheek as Colm chuckled, "Anticipating, were we?"

"The way you kissed me last night? Shit, yeah, I'm anticipating."

Colm's lips made their way to his ear, and he shivered when he heard the soft command, "Turn around."

Kent did not need to be told twice.

He groaned when he felt slicked fingers enter him, and he glanced back over his shoulder at Colm. "Forget this shit, fuck me already."

"Tch. You young people are so impatient. However, if you insist…" The fingers left him, and moments later then there was the delicious burn of Colm's hard length pushing fully inside him. "Better?"

"Aaah - fuck, yeah." Kent gripped the edge of the drafting table as Colm began to move inside him. The table's angle was perfect, and he groaned when Colm's thrusts began to regularly hit his prostrate and send streaks of pleasure coursing through his body. Words soon became impossible, and Kent could only pant and moan as Colm's thrusts became faster, harder. He reveled in the other man's soft grunts of pleasure and the sound of Colm's body slapping against his.

He was soon hard again, and the friction of his dick rubbing against the smooth, worn wood of the tabletop while Colm fucked him drove him relentlessly toward another orgasm. He clutched at the edge of the table as he came, wet heat spreading on the wooden top beneath him. Behind him, Colm moaned and stilled, and Kent felt warmth blossom in his belly when Colm came inside deep him.

Colm moved his mouth along the back of Kent's neck and murmured against his skin, "Mmmm, see? It was just as well I didn't work on anything yet." Kent shivered as Colm lazily licked the nape of his neck. "We would have made a complete mess of my papers. It was so much better having an _empty_ table, don't you think?"

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Finally, _Friday._ Kent was in high spirits all morning - he had a kick-ass entry for the competition, and, speaking of asses, his was pleasantly sore from his encounter with Colm the night before. He doubted that either one of them had paid any attention to Jerry's blathering in their morning meeting, preferring to enjoy the heat that flared when their legs brushed against each other under the conference table.

What a week!

It was now noon, and Kent decided to swing by Colm's office to see if he was free for lunch. He gave a perfunctory knock at the other architect's door and entered. "Hey, Colm, want to grab some lunch?"

"Mmm?" Long bangs hung in front of Colm's face as his head remained bent over the work on his table.

The work on his table. Work. Table. Colm was actually _working_ on something! Kent stepped further into the office. "Colm?"

The older man looked up then, and Kent was amused to see a paintbrush held between his teeth. Colm removed the paintbrush and smiled. "Oh, Kent, it's you. Lunch? I'm sorry, I won't be able to get away. Katherine is coming at 6 o'clock, you know." He dipped the brush into a water glass. "There. The rendering is done."

Kent's mouth dropped open. "You're working on your entry during your _lunch break?_ "

Colm moved the watercolor painting onto a nearby easel to dry. "Of course. Jerry specifically said we had to work on this on our own time." He quickly cleared the table of brushes and paints, then pulled out a large piece of drafting paper and laid it on the angled tabletop. Armed with a pencil in one hand and a ruler in the other, he set to work.

"Colm, you had all week! You waited until _now_ to do the whole thing?"

Colm glanced up and winked at him. "I was …busy." He grinned, and then returned to his rapidly emerging drawing.

Kent felt a twinge of jealousy as he watched Colm's hand moving in a blur, creating a perfectly drafted exterior layout on what only minutes before had been completely blank paper. Kent knew himself to be a brilliant designer, but he also knew what he was watching now was pure, simple genius.

What a fucking turn-on.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Promptly at 6pm, a cackling laugh and the jingle of at least a dozen bracelets announced the arrival of Katherine Bosatz, President and CEO of Tenkai Associates.

All of the entries were set up in the client presentation room - Colm had ambled in the room at 5:45 with his completed boards - and one by one the participating architects made their way into the room. Heads were craning to see all the entries, and money passed hands surreptitiously between several people. Kent made his way over to stand next to Colm, who gave him a serene smile.

"Darlings, what a treat! What lovely work you have all done." Katherine strolled along the line-up of easels and perused each of the entries, occasionally moving in to examine a drawing more closely. Everyone waited in silence, the only noise in the room coming from the clinking of Katherine's bracelets and Jerry nervously tapping his pen on his clipboard. She reached the end of the row and turned to face her captive audience, clapping happily. "As I said, lovely work! This only confirms to me that I have a killer staff of designers that will continue to keep us on the cutting edge of architecture and engineering."

"However, I can't live in all these wonderful buildings. Well, I could, but I'm sure Teddy wouldn't appreciate it and I'd like to keep him for awhile." She perched on the edge of the large conference table. "I would like to speak with Colm Sanderson and Kent Neiman. The rest of you, thank you very much for your hard work."

Katherine grinned at Colm and Kent as the other architects left the room. "Hmmm, somehow I knew that I would end up with you two."

She walked over to Kent's display. The exterior of the house was a spectacular mix of glass walls and patterned stainless steel, and afforded sweeping views of the valley below it. "This is brilliant. Every exterior wall except the back is glass, isn't it? And patterned concrete as well… very nice. I would definitely enjoy the view in this house, you preserved that beautifully. I like that you kept all the bedrooms and bathrooms clustered in the center so that all the common rooms could have those amazing glass walls." She looked over at the pen-and-ink rendering of the house and commented, "This is definitely the sort of place that would elicit gasps from visitors."

Kent shot Colm a look and smirked.

Katherine sashayed over to Colm's boards. "Now, Colm… I was wondering what you would do with my lovely little patch of dirt, and you didn't disappoint me. Not one bit." She tapped the elevation with a manicured fingernail. "You went right into the side of the hill, you clever boy!"

Only the front of Colm's house was visible. Set right into the hill itself, the single exterior wall followed the gentle curves of the land, and was a mix of glass, fieldstone and oak timbers.

"I love how this goes right along with the curves of the hill. This is one of those earth-sheltered houses, isn't it? Partially underground?" She looked more closely at the elevation drawing of the exterior. "Ah, you're using sun pipes to get extra light inside."

"Yes, those sun pipes provide an amazing amount of light," Colm responded, "and there's also passive solar with radiant flooring for heat. You could even throw some wind turbines on the top of that hill for your electricity. You chose the perfect site for this kind of house, Katherine. I just couldn't resist."

"Oooh, and look at that flagstone patio in the front there - I missed seeing that!" Katherine peered closer at the rendering. "The front of it almost looks like the prow of a boat, sailing into the valley," she murmured, then turned to smile at Colm. "I like that this design not only appreciates the view, but actually becomes _part_ of it. Not to mention that I can lord it over the neighbors that the house is so wonderfully _green._ "

Katherine ran a finger along the watercolor rendering, tracing the front of the house where it undulated along the hillside. "This is beautiful, Colm. Simply beautiful. It's only a drawing and yet it's welcoming me home already. This is the one I want."

She waggled a finger at Kent. "You. Over here." When Kent arrived at her side she slung a bracelet-laden arm across his shoulder and pointed at his boards. "This is pretty good, kiddo."

Kent snorted. "It's more than 'pretty good'. It's fucking amazing, and you should have picked it." He gestured at his drawings. "This house will get you a spread in _Architectural Digest_. That house? I'll admit it's brilliant work, but it will only get you into _Mother Earth News_." His eyes met Colm's, chin raised defiantly.

Colm simply smiled at him and executed a short bow. "Why, thank you, Kent. I've always hoped that someday I would be featured in that publication. One can only appear so many times in _AD_ before it gets… boring?" His returning gaze held pure amusement.

Katherine laughed. "Only you, Colm, would be bored at the prospect of appearing in _Architectural Digest_ for the tenth time." She poked Kent with a ring-studded finger, ignoring his open-mouthed surprise at her comment. "Kiddo, I'm going to let you in on a secret. While I love seeing Tenkai projects receive awards and magazine profiles, when it comes to my house, it's about being my _home_. And that's why I chose Colm's design over yours." She pointed again at his drawing. "Now, this… _this_ will be a - what did you call it, darling? - 'fucking amazing' vacation house to build on a nice bit of oceanfront property Teddy and I just bought. A showcase where I can have important parties that impress important people."

She gave him a toothy smile and slapped his back as she stepped away, her bracelets jangling in accompaniment. "So, darlings, it seems you _both_ win. I get to live in Colm's house and show off Kent's. How wonderful! Jerry, you'll handle all this as usual, won't you, dear? Must go, I have to meet Teddy for dinner. Ta!" She floated out of the room, and Jerry hurried behind, babbling about the irregularity of having two winners. He yanked the door shut behind him, and Colm and Kent were left alone in the conference room.

Colm went to his display and started to take the stands apart. Kent remained where he was and watched the other man with narrowed eyes. "Tenth time?"

Colm glanced back at him with a sheepish grin. "Oh, yes. I do have a rather embarrassing accumulation of features in that publication, and a few others."

"And awards?"

"Oh, those too. I store them in my office closet for the occasional client who is persistent about seeing them. I'd much rather have my Frank print on the wall. 'Fallingwater' is my favorite of his works."

Kent just stared at Colm, not sure whether to shake him or kiss him. This ridiculous, beautiful, _brilliant_ man was baffling and unpredictable, and that combination annoyed the shit out of him… and aroused him too. "And you did all this at lunchtime today? But _why?_ "

"Why did I put it off, or why don't I display my awards?"

"Both."

Colm set his boards down, and then sat on the table's edge. He looked at Kent and smiled gently. "The awards? Because they don't matter. I do this because I enjoy it. It's like painting, but with concrete, wood, glass and steel instead of brushes and tubes of paint. It will last, it will be lived in, and it will be called 'home'. _That's_ what matters to me."

He grasped one of Kent's hands and pulled the younger man in to stand between his knees. "But it's quite all right that _you_ like the challenge and the competition. I don't think I've ever met someone so driven - to win, to be the best - like you are, Kent." Fingertips ghosted over Kent's lower lip, and Kent's breath hitched at the caress. "And I find that endlessly …fascinating." Those same fingers drifted along his jaw, then curled themselves around the back of his neck and pulled him close for a slow, deep kiss. Kent closed his eyes, savoring the sensuous slide of Colm's tongue in his mouth and the feel of those long fingers as they threaded through his hair.

Colm pulled his head back and looked at Kent, desire glittering in his soft brown eyes.

"Now, as to why I put things off… I wouldn't have been here late every night if I had finished my design on Monday, now would I?" He grinned like a mischievous boy. "I thought a little procrastination would give me a chance to …get to know you better."

Kent snorted, and twisted his hands in blond hair to pull that smiling mouth to his again. Colm pulled him closer, and a muffled moan escaped Kent when his erection brushed against an equally hard bulge in Colm's trousers. Colm's mouth left his to murmur, "You know, I don't think I've properly seen your office yet. And I imagine that _your_ drafting table is quite … _empty_ now."

 _fin_

************

 **An additional Author's note** : The inspiration for this fic is the story of how the great American architect Frank Lloyd Wright designed his famous "Fallingwater" house. In case you are not familiar with this amazing piece of American architecture, here is a pic:  
  
The house is built over a small waterfall! Another amazing thing is that it was built in the early 1930s.

The story goes that Wright was given the commission and dilly-dallied for six months, not giving the client any idea of what their house was going to look like. Finally the client got aggravated and telephoned Wright to tell him that he was coming to Wright's studio to see the drawings, and would be there in three hours. Wright told him "Fine, come over," and then proceeded to draw the WHOLE THING in less than three hours! By the time the client got there, all of the drawings were complete. I thought this was soooo Koumyou, and then the plot bunny hopped over and took the carrot I was holding out!

 

 

 


End file.
